Mexico Launches New Campaign to Boost Seafood Industry and Regional Economies

The National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA) have initiated "Mexico Sabe a Mar"—or "Mexico Tastes like the Sea". This campaign brings together more than 100 producers to boost awareness of seafood's role in the food industry while strengthening regional economies through increased commercialization.

The fishing and aquaculture industry is vast in the region. Conapesca's registry shows 328,932 workers collectively producing 2.17 million tons of seafood in 2025, based on preliminary harvest...

Oil Spill Prompts Protests and Government Response in Veracruz

Residents of Veracruz, Mexico, marched on Easter demanding answers and aid following an oil spill that has spread for hundreds of miles across the Gulf of Mexico, affecting the Mexican coastline.

In a video published by The Star, protester Santa Hernandez states, "Is is Easter and our lagoons are still polluted. Yesterday, oil reached the beaches of El Salado and the coral reefs. Two new dead turtles appeared on the beaches of Punta San Juan. Fish in the sea with tar stains show that the spill is still affecting the...

USTR, Mexican Economy Secretary Launch Initial USMCA Review Discussions

US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard launched an initial round of discussions ahead of the Joint Review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) on March 5.

Greer said negotiators are expected to hold initial meetings the week of March 15 with regular meetings to follow.

“The ministers instructed negotiators to begin a scoping discussion on the necessary measures to ensure the benefits of the Agreement accrue primarily to the parties, including by reducing dependence on imports from outside the region...

Gulf Senators Demand Stronger NOAA Action to Stop Illegal Red Snapper Fishing

A group of 10 US senators from Gulf states urged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to step up enforcement against illegal red snapper fishing by Mexican vessels in US waters.

“We would appreciate NOAA Fisheries’ action in more aggressively applying its existing authorities to ensure that illegally harvested red snapper is not sold in the United States,” the senators wrote to Neil Jacobs, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator.

The letter noted successful Coast Guard interdictions and seizures but said Mexican...

Mexico’s Baja Aqua-Farms Expands into Marine Ingredients with Acquisition of Baja Marine Foods

Baja California, Mexico-based Baja Aqua-Farms (BAF) announced it has acquired Baja Marine Foods (BMF).

BAF is a tuna farmer that produces sashimi-grade tuna products with a history dating back to the turn of the century. BMF was founded in 2010 and is also headquartered in Baja California, Mexico. BMF is a processor of locally caught pelagic species, with a plant capable of processing up to 450 tons per day and a pair of fishing vessels. It produces fishmeal, fish oil, and frozen seafood...

US Senate Passes Bill Targeting Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Imports 

The United States Senate has passed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing illegally caught red snapper and tuna from being imported into the US.  

Introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), the bill instructs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create a standardized method for identifying the country of origin of imported red snapper and certain...

Mexico Launches Global Center for Regenerative Aquaculture  

A new global hub dedicated to advancing regenerative aquaculture is opening in La Paz, Mexico. The Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation (CAAI) — launched by Innovaciones Alumbra (iAlumbra) — aims to boost food security, restore ocean ecosystems, and improve coastal economic opportunities, all while focusing on sustainability. 

“Our oceans and their resources are significantly degraded. It is no longer enough to assume that sustainability alone will reverse the damage,” said Walmart heiress and iAlumbra founder Christy Walton in a statement.  “It’s time to invest significantly in advanced technologies and...

GSA Board of Directors Announces New Member: Comepesca President Citlali Gómez Lepe

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) recently announced a new addition to its Board of Directors: Citlali Gómez Lepe, President of Comepesca.

Gómez Lepe, who has more than two decades of experience in commercial and rural aquaculture, is the founder of the sustainable fishing and aquaculture awareness movement Pesca con Futuro. In 1992, she and her family also founded the multi-species aquaculture facility Neminatura, where since then, they have been farming rainbow trout and developing small-scale aquaculture and agriculture projects in Central Mexico...

NOAA Fisheries Hits Two Importers with $223K in Penalties Over Mislabeled 'Dolphin Safe' Tuna

Two seafood companies have agreed to pay $222,902 in civil penalties after NOAA Fisheries investigations found they imported 3.4 million pounds of tuna products from Mexico that were improperly labeled as "dolphin safe," the agency announced this week. NOAA did not identify the companies in its enforcement announcement.

The enforcement actions, stemming from multi-year investigations by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, targeted a distribution company that imported 74 shipments totaling 2.2 million pounds over 11 months...

Ag Coalition Highlights USMCA Strength in New Report, Sees Big US Economic Benefits

The Agricultural Coalition for USMCA has released a new report underscoring the pact’s importance to the US farm and seafood sectors. The analysis positions the USMCA as a stabilizing force for rural economies amid rising input costs and volatile markets, noting that exports to Canada and Mexico generated significant US economic activity in 2024.

The report found that agricultural and seafood exports to Canada and Mexico produced $149 billion in total US economic output in 2024, supporting about 493,000 full-time jobs and $36 billion...

US Seafood Industry Calls to Protect USMCA Duty-Free Trade Framework

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI)’s Director of Public Policy, Morgan Bell, delivered testimony before the US International Trade Commission this week, underscoring the essential role of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) in supporting a thriving North American seafood trade.

Speaking on behalf of the entire commercial seafood value chain — from harvesters and processors to distributors and retailers — Bell highlighted the remarkable growth in seafood exports under the USMCA since its 2019 implementation. American seafood exports to Mexico have surged 65%...

PAK Quality Foods Acquires Formosa Foods 

PAK Quality Foods, which serves foodservice, retail, and institutional customers in Texas and Eastern New Mexico, has announced the acquisition of all assets of Formosa Foods. 

Formosa Foods will continue to operate under the leadership of its current owners, Jesse and Weldon Chang.  

Founded in 1979, Formosa Foods serves customers across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, offering a wide range of products, including beef, pork, poultry, seafood, grains, and more.  

PAK Quality Foods operates distribution facilities in San Angelo and Fort Worth and offers a full line of...

Mexico Aims to Boost Tilapia Self-Sufficiency by 2030  

Mexico is aiming to achieve full self-sufficiency in tilapia production by 2030, according to an announcement from Julio Berdegué, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Berdegué shared the goal during “The Future of Tilapia in Mexico” forum, hosted by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca).  

Currently, Mexico’s aquaculture sector is made up of roughly 81,000 workers, with around 45,000 involved in tilapia production. Of those, 90% are small-scale operations. 

In 2024, tilapia production in Mexico exceeded 2.6 billion pesos. Looking ahead to 2025, the government plans to...

Sen. Cruz Outlines the Negative Impacts of Illegal Fishing by Mexican Cartels

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas made the opening statement at yesterday’s Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries hearing titled “Finding Nemo’s Future: Conflicts over Ocean Resources.”

In his statement, Cruz, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, voiced growing concern for Mexican cartels poaching fish—specifically red snapper—from U.S. waters in order to finance illicit activities.

He also touched on the negative impact that these activities have on the livelihoods of Texas fishermen, the safety of Americans, and...